đź“ť Summary
The MJIIX International Research and Innovation Competition 2026 brought together researchers, students, and industry representatives to showcase research and innovation, with 63 posters presented and 30 judges evaluating them. The competition featured five categories and awarded a Grand Award, two Semi-Grand Awards, and various Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards to teams from Malaysian and Indonesian institutions. The event strengthened collaboration among universities, research bodies, and industry partners and attracted 1,074 visitors.
KUALA LUMPUR, Sep 28 – The MJIIX International Research and Innovation Competition 2026 (MJIIX IRIC 2026) brought together researchers, students, academics and industry representatives in a showcase of research, innovation and collaboration. Held on 28 September 2026 as part of the Malaysia-Japan Industrial and Innovation Expo 2026 (MJIIX 2026) at UTM Hotel & Residence, Kuala Lumpur, MJIIX IRIC 2026 marked the inaugural international research and innovation competition under MJIIX.
A total of 63 research and innovation posters were presented at MJIIX IRIC 2026. Among these, 56 involved Malaysian affiliations and eight involved Indonesian affiliations, including one Malaysia–Indonesia collaborative poster.
The showcase brought together 35 Malaysian institutions and organisations, comprising 20 universities and higher education institutions, five government and public research bodies, and 10 industry and corporate organisations. Indonesia was represented by Universitas Airlangga, Universitas Diponegoro, Institut Teknologi PLN, and Telkom University. Industry engagement was further demonstrated through 10 posters involving industry partners.
The competition featured five categories: Engineering and Technology; Sustainability and Green Innovation; Healthcare and Biomedical Innovation; Social Innovation; and Entrepreneurship and Commercialisation.
A total of 30 academic and industry judges evaluated the posters based on Creativity, Industry Relevance and Collaboration, Impact and Sustainability, Commercialisation Potential, and Poster Communication and Engagement, providing both academic and industry perspectives. The poster showcase also enabled researchers, students, academics and industry representatives to exchange ideas, receive feedback and explore potential collaborations.
The Grand Award was presented to a team from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), which received a plaque and a cash prize of RM2,500.
Two Semi-Grand Awards were presented to teams from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), with each team receiving a plaque and a cash prize of RM1,000. In addition, 10 posters received Gold Awards, 15 received Silver Awards, and 20 received Bronze Awards.
Beyond the awards, MJIIX IRIC 2026 strengthened collaboration among universities, research bodies and industry partners from Malaysia and Indonesia, helping connect research ideas with practical and societal needs. MJIIX 2026 attracted 1,074 visitors, further broadening engagement with the academic and industry communities. The inaugural competition reflects MJIIT, UTM’s commitment to impactful research, innovation, industry engagement and international collaboration.
